No.7 Highway from Pattaya to Bangkok. Toll Booths!?

Jul 17, 2007
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It's been a while since I've taken the bike to Pattaya using the Chonburi bypass for an overnighter and the outbound journey was uneventful except for the fact that a lot of the road is under repair.
On the way back I arrived at a bloody toll booth! As i was slowing down wondering what to do, Thai drivers were pulling level, beeping their horn to let me know I couldn't continue. Now I'm sure I didn't take a wrong turn somewhere so I just fly through a gap and jump off onto the BangNa -Trat for even more roadworks.
So avoid the BangNa-Trat!
 
Jul 25, 2012
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Rustic Charm;290098 wrote: It's been a while since I've taken the bike to Pattaya using the Chonburi bypass for an overnighter and the outbound journey was uneventful except for the fact that a lot of the road is under repair.
On the way back I arrived at a bloody toll booth! As i was slowing down wondering what to do, Thai drivers were pulling level, beeping their horn to lt me know i couldn't continue. Now I'm sure I didn't take a wrong turn somewhere so I just fly through a gap and jump off onto the BangNa -Trat for even more roadworks.
So avoid the BangNa-Trat!
Err, they're beeping at you to tell you you shouldn't be on a motorcycle on that stretch of Highway 7! So you didn't take a wrong turn so much as didn't get off at the last one before the tolls!

I used to love flying up and down that highway when it was brand new, before the toll booths were properly policed, on a GPZ1000RX :smile1:
 
Jul 17, 2007
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Chiang_Mai_Martin;290099 wrote: Err, they're beeping at you to tell you you shouldn't be on a motorcycle on that stretch of Highway 7! So you didn't take a wrong turn so much as didn't get off at the last one before the tolls!
Yeah, I managed to work that out. Strangely enough I didn't encounter them on the outbound leg. I joined the highway past them I guess. Looks like the only direct way is through Chonburi and Sri Ratcha. Thailand needs to take a leaf out of Malaysia's book and allow a side path around the tolls for bikes.
 
Jul 25, 2012
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You can use the 7 till you are past Sri Racha but you've gotta come off at the jct that takes you down to the 361 Chonburi by-pass. Me, I got out of all that bollox (15 years biking that area) by moving to Chiang Mai!
 
Mar 30, 2010
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Ted and I did that once.. coming back from Khao Khiew on the KLX / D-tracker.

Followed his GPS and forgot to enter avoid toll ways etc.

Sure enough.. we are belting along and I see the fence etc and realise what has happened..

We pull over before the toll booth.. Look at the guys standing there waiting for us.. Then ride down the steep embankment to the fence.. and it was steep with big holes that you couldn't see as the grass was so thick..

Manage to get down to this huge concrete drain that had a 6 ft drop and went under the fence..

So we drag Ted's bike down and under and he rides up the other side.. I look and think.. Screw this.. My KLX is brand new.. Don't want to screw it up.
They will be reasonable when I explain it was a mistake..

Then have to turn the bike around in a 5 point turn up the steep embankment.. Then ride it up to the road..

Rock up to the booth and the guys are smiling.. One of them bends down and pulls out a huge branch I had picked up and dragging along from the embankment.

Explain, mistake.. They were not having any of it.. They said the cops are coming and gesture.. Handcuffs.. Try to be nice and say.. here is 100 baht.
Nope..

So start the bike.. They stand in front of me..
Rev the sh!t out of the KLX and took off.. They moved out he way real quick.
Belted down to the exit and joined up with Ted and we took the Bangna Trat road back instead of the 7.

They did take down my number plate at the beginning.. Never heard anything after the event.

Have not made that mistake again :)

Cheers
Brian
 

blackb15

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Oct 11, 2009
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I did it in the Bangkok floods when they let you on the highway down to Pattaya for that period , then thought it would be ok on my return ride it wasn't big telling of and apologise from me .Its shame they don't but a cc limit as much better on a big bike .
Safe riding
Paul
 
Oct 17, 2006
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You have to exit the 7 at chonburi interchange not siracha interchange but confusion of roadworks and poor signage means its quite possible to end up on the motorway at present if you are not familiar with the layout
 
Jul 25, 2012
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monsterman;290405 wrote: You have to exit the 7 at chonburi interchange not siracha interchange but confusion of roadworks and poor signage means its quite possible to end up on the motorway at present if you are not familiar with the layout
I'm pretty sure that's what I said mate..... read it again! "Use the 7 till you are past Sri Racha (not "exit at the Sri Racha interchange") but you've gotta come off at the jct that takes you down to the 361 Chonburi by-pass
 

cdrw

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Oct 6, 2006
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Signage at the entrance to Hwy-7 in Pattaya:

I was first notified last October 2012 that a sign had been posted prohibiting bicycles, motorcycles and trucks with trailers from using Highway-7
A few months later, the police became more diligent in seeking violators ($).

I reside in So. Pattaya, so now, it's back to getting on hwy 36->331 if going upcountry or Esarn. But, there is a shortcut that saves a few km by taking Siam Country Rd to the Bira race track, then onto hwy 36. If going north to Chonburi/BKK, the only direct alternative is using Sukhumvit (hwy-3)

Here's a closeup pix of the sign. It's _small_, a mere 18"/46mm in diameter and located on the inside lane of the road used to enter hwy-7. Impossible to notice when going 80-90km/H!
IMG_0092_500x375_zpsb7c57852.jpg


Here's pix of the sign taken from about 25-meters away!. (Use a magnifying lens to see it at the tip of the red arrow).
Hwy-7_zpsc01eb50c.jpg
 
Jul 25, 2012
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cdrw;290579 wrote: Signage at the entrance to Hwy-7 in Pattaya:
I reside in So. Pattaya, so now, it's back to getting on hwy 36->331 if going upcountry or Esarn. But, there is a shortcut that saves a few km by taking Siam Country Rd to the Bira race track, then onto hwy 36. If going north to Chonburi/BKK, the only direct alternative is using Sukhumvit (hwy-3)
I used to live in Jomtien, then over the road on Khao Talor and always used to start a trip off by actually going south a few miles to Soi Wat Huay Yai and straight along to the 331..... easy peasy and missed all the Pattaya traffic!
 
Nov 21, 2010
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Interesting sign at the fly-over in Pattaya Nua to route #7 ..... as it leads to an high-way to Chonburi with at least 50 entry & exit roads and the high-way splits up a busy part of the Eastern Seaboard. If motorbike are not allowed on the all route #7 (it is not an toll-road until Chonburi) then a lot of people will have to make loops of about 10 to 20km to get to the other side. So I assume that the sign is only for the fly-over ... so make an u-turn at the next intersection and take a left and then enter the high-way.

Chang Noi
 
Jul 17, 2007
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Does anyone have an approximate Google Earth location on the toll booths?
There seem to be two possible exits to the 361 Chonburi bypass, first the no 7 highway (not 'motorway' as my thread title should read) and then the 344.
 
Oct 17, 2006
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late 2014 new tollbooths to be installed at Pattaya /Rayong jct near International school , once the fenced off side roads for localtraffic and M/Cs are complete then highway will run from Pattaya to Chonburi with another set of tolls at Laemchabeng,jct too. Thats official from pattaya Highway police its been planned for some time and completion estimated October 2014 ??
 

cdrw

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Oct 6, 2006
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FWIW...
Two weeks ago, late at night and returning from BKK, I got on the Hwy-7 north of Chonburi. At that entry point I could have gone north into Bkk or to Chonburi. Shortly after taking the Chonburi entry point, I encountered a working toll booth...cars were stopped, but they just waved my bike through.
This was my first time riding the 7 south, at night. The highway is far from being complete and satisfactory. Lane marking and road lighting was lacking in many areas. Some areas of the highway were totally dark, cars with better lighting were having problems. Although I knew I was heading south, there were no sign indicating 'Pattaya' until I was about 40-50km before Pattaya.
I found traveling highway 7, late at night, to be very unsafe!
 

Ninja

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Aug 13, 2012
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What would be the best route to take from the southwest side of BKK (Hwy 9/Hwy 35) interchange to get to the Pattaya/Jomtien Area? There's a very small toll area of Hwy 9 that runs through Thung Khru, which is due south of the city. After that 10-12 km stretch, there's an exit to Hwy 3 South. Looks like pretty clear sailing from there.

Does anyone have any recommendations?
 
Feb 17, 2013
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Ninja;293657 wrote: What would be the best route to take from the southwest side of BKK (Hwy 9/Hwy 35) interchange to get to the Pattaya/Jomtien Area? There's a very small toll area of Hwy 9 that runs through Thung Khru, which is due south of the city. After that 10-12 km stretch, there's an exit to Hwy 3 South. Looks like pretty clear sailing from there.

Does anyone have any recommendations?
I supposed you are on a bike. I take the bike ferry and then 34 like this. The elevated road on top of 34 is off limits for bikes so you have to drive "down stairs".
 

Ninja

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Aug 13, 2012
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NightRider;293658 wrote: I supposed you are on a bike. I take the bike ferry and then 34 like this. The elevated road on top of 34 is off limits for bikes so you have to drive "down stairs".
Great route! Thank you very much!
 
Oct 17, 2006
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last time i was in pattaya a few weeks ago the , frontage roads for the extension of the toll road to Pattaya were as usual behind schedule so toll booths at least another year away say late 2015 but once its motorway bikes wont be able to use it,, only frontage roads